Book Review of the book `Quito 1599: City and Colony in Transition` by Kris Lane

The year is 1599 in Quito , a Spanish colony , only a tiny part of which is the modern-day Republic of Ecuador . Quito is an enormous city with a great diversity of ethnicities . The people of the city are dealing with circumstances such as shipwrecks , attacks by pirates , unsuccessful efforts of missionaries , civil problems , changes facing the economy decadence of the rich , and resistance to transformation . But , there is a boom in the gold trade

as well , which is one of the main reasons why Quito has been colonized . And , of course , there are ordinary people in the city trying their best to stay clear of disturbances in to lead their simple lives as traders , slaves and merchants

This is the story of Lane 's (2002 ) Quito 1599 : City and Colony in Transition . Most people would not know anything about Quito until they have read this book . The author has spent a significant amount of time conducting research on the Spanish colony . His book is not only credible but also a very important piece of research for historians economists , in addition to sociologists . Although Lane describes the various cultural groups in Quito , his focus on individuals makes it an incredible read for laymen , too , who may relate to the people of the Spanish colony facing their individual circumstances as best as they could . After all , 1599 was an interesting time of change for...